Extreme Networks Reassures Nervous Partners, Customers About Avaya Acquisition

Extreme Networks has been answering questions and reassuring nervous partners and customers since it got the OK to buy Avaya’s networking business for about $100 million.

Avaya filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. It entered into an asset purchase agreement with Extreme for the networking business in a section 363 sale under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The final agreement was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and is expected to close on or shortly after July 1.

Extreme Networks’ Gordon Mackintosh

Extreme recently held an informational webinar aimed at helping customers and partners better understand the latest updates related to the transitions. Gordon Mackintosh, Extreme’s senior director of worldwide partner organization, tells Channel Partners that after the webinar, partners were “extremely satisfied with our go forward approach and excited about the future.”

“Although, they are still looking for more details,” he said.

For existing Avaya partners, Extreme will continue the existing Avaya partner program without any change for a period of time following the acquisition close, Norman Rice, Extreme’s executive vice president of global marketing, supply chain and corporate development, wrote in a blog. After that, those partners will be fast-tracked into the Extreme Partner Network, he said.

“For Extreme partners, nothing major will change in the near term; however, we will be offering a lot of sales/technical enablement so you can take advantage of new technology,” he said. “We’ll have a help desk with a click-to-chat function to provide you with the necessary support to help you move through transition.”

Partners with an existing Avaya networking warranty or support contract will have those transferred to Extreme. Post close, Avaya support services and warranties will be mapped to Extreme’s offerings with the goal of providing equal or better service and coverage, Rice said.

“We remain committed to preserving and enhancing the acquired technology, with no disruption to your business during the integration process,” he said. “Our commitment to no disruption during the integration process extends across all sales channels so customers can continue to purchase technology and services via the same process and people they currently use.”

Extreme will initiate a series of partner round ables and interviews ahead of launching the new unified partner program, Mackintosh said.

“The new partner program is targeted for Jan. 1,” he added.